


How the Howling Commandos Accidentally Invented Ultimate Frisbee

by Garce



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Howling Commandos - Freeform, Improper use of the shield, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Retirement, SHIELD, World War II, ultimate frisbee, young avengers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 04:39:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garce/pseuds/Garce
Summary: I think the title sums it up.





	How the Howling Commandos Accidentally Invented Ultimate Frisbee

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact there actually was a Frisbie Pie Company whose pie tins might have maybe been used as a Frisbee during the WWII era. They were distributed in New England which is why Dugan knows about them. Ill put a link if you're actually interested.
> 
> https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-frisbee-4072561

It started once they had gotten back from Azzano after the dust and shock around the camp had settled. Bucky was talking to Steve in the yard outside the camp, and Dugan swore he had never seen more anger in someones eyes. Barnes had his jaw clenched and shoulders squared as he spoke loudly, sternly, and animated with Steve Rogers. Unable to help himself Dugan hid himself and eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Did you even think? For a half a second, ‘How could this possibly go wrong?’ Did you even ask any questions about what this whole thing was?” Bucky whisper shouted at Steve. Dugan watched as Steve opened his mouth to say something but were cut off by Barnes before he could say anything.

“I’m talking a real question. An adult question. You ever think if this thing could kill ya? I don’t get a letter sent over here telling me you died at home the way you get one if I finally bite the bullet. You ever think about that, because I sure as hell do every night since I’ve left. Yeah. Yeah I didn’t think so.” He said getting louder and Cap shrunk in on himself.

“They said 107th and... Buck I- I couldn’t leave you there. I couldn’t let my best... I couldn’t let you die.” Steve refuted.

“Yes. You. could.” Barnes snarled standing almost chest to chest with Steve.

“I brought the shield. I had back up.” Steve protested holding up the shield slightly higher. Barnes looked like he was about to punch Rogers in the face.

“Can I see that shield for a second Steve.” Barnes gritted calmly. Dugan could see the fear in Steve’s eyes as he handed the shield over to Barnes.

Barnes took a step back and grabbed the shield tightly and wound up to throw it. Dugan watched in awe as Barnes through the shield what had to be almost two-hundred yards away.

“Fuck. The. Shield.” Barnes growled before he turned and walked away from Steve who was frozen in his place. Dugan was frozen in fear behind a large oak tree. He had never seen anyone so angry or intimidating in his entire life. He didn’t know whether to be more scared that Barnes face never turned red in anger once or that the way he walked looked like he could kill Hitler and the Nazi army with just his eyes.

***

Rogers and Barnes did not speak for two days after their fight. Every time that Rogers looked over at Barnes he would open his mouth preparing to say something he would simply shut his mouth and get a sad look in his eyes. One day while all of the Commanders except Barnes were sitting at table talking. Barnes walked over to the table and nodded to acknowledge everyone's existence before turning to Steve. “Grab the shield. If you’re staying here you’re learning how to throw it properly.” Barnes demanded with anger and fondness in his glare. Rogers nodded going to retrieve the shield from Howard as Barnes walked out towards the yard.

Bucky walked over to an area of the base that was open and unoccupied by people and leaned against an old farm fence along the perimeter. A minute later Steve came jogging with the shield in his hand. “Making it so the top of the wind hits the shield.” Bucky said before stepping about twenty yards away from Steve holding his hand out to catch the shield. They threw the shield in the yard for an hour in a half. Steve had bruised and bloodied knuckles form the times he had failed to catch it and Bucky had one bruise on his wrist from where he caught the shield hit his arm while he caught it.

Throwing the shield had become a habit for the two of them and continued to be during missions and in between them. The only person that could use and throw the shield more accurately than Steve Rogers was Bucky Barnes, but the Commandos swore that they would take that secret with them to the grave.

***

One day in between missions the Commandos were all soaking in the sun in the yard of the base watching as Rogers and Barnes took turns throwing the shield at objects while the other tried to block them from throwing it. Dugan stood stretching his legs and watched as Barnes mad eye contact with him. Barnes threw the shield at Dugan causing Rogers to pause for a moment before running towards him. Dugan in return threw the shield back to Barnes and watched the look of disappointment on Rogers face as Barnes hit his target fifty yards away with ease.

“That's cheating.” Steve claimed pointing at Barnes who smirked back at him.

“They’re teammates for a reason Stevie.” Barnes said with a smirk patting Steve on the shoulder before he jogged to retrieve the shield from a tree that had paint mark on it. Rogers let out a frustrated groan before he and Barnes continued to throw the shield.

***

After Barnes declared using the other Commands was fair the rules and the game changed. Six of the seven would play at one time with three people on each team and one person rotating in after every point. The game changed from one of accuracy to one of teamwork. The three people on each team would attempt to get the shield from one side of the field to the other. There were only three rules. One, no running with the shield. Two, if the shield hits the ground or is caught by an opponent it was a turnover. Three, after someone scored the losing team would walk to the other side of the field in punishment.

***

The game lasted until one team gave up, but then Peggy Carter instituted a new rule after they were all late to a mission briefing once. From that point on the game ended in one of three ways, one team reached fifteen points and was leading by two, after one-hundred minutes, or whenever Peggy Carter said so.

***

It was Dugan who coined the name for the game. He said that he and his friends would throw pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company in the parks and streets of Massachusetts. He kept calling the shield a frisbie during the games and the name stuck when they weren’t fighting. He claimed that their game was the best version of the game that he had ever played because the shield was the ultimate version of a frisbie that he had seen, except for when it cut and bruised your hands. From that point they called the game Ultimate Frisbie or various short forms of the name.

***

_New rule._  Bucky wrote in a journal that that held all the rules they thought of for the game and the list of who had won the game.  _Due to the actions of an unnamed blond and his aggressive defensive strategies used against his best friend this game is now a non-contact. This rule has been implemented by Jim Morita an unimpressed medic that set the nose of the injured party._  
 _Score: 15-13_  
 _Winners: Shirts_  
 _Losers: Skins & Barnes’ nose_  
 _11.13.1944_. Bucky wrote in a journal that that held all the rules they thought of for the game and the list of who had won the game. 

****

That would be the last time that they played the game. The next mission they took was to the Alps. Bucky Barnes feel from a train while Steve Rogers watched in horror through tears. Three days later a brokenhearted Steve Rogers would crash the Valkyrie into the ocean saving the United States and ending the war with Hydra. After the VE-Day Dugan and Morita took the game with them and popularized it on both the east and west coast of the United States in honor of the fallen creators of the game. They we forced to renamed the game Ultimate Frisbee changing the spelling after pie company threatened to sue.

***

After the snap was reversed Steve Rogers and James Barnes retired from combat with Steve passing the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson. Steve and Bucky both took roles that trained new and upcoming Avengers in combat and strategy. They were finally able to relax and sit back every once and a while in life. For the first time in their lives they could spend lazy mornings laying in bed, watch the movies they had missed together, and rest easily.

One afternoon after Bucky and Steve had spoke to the new recruits about the importance of incorporating all members of the team to their strengths Steve overheard a group of kids snickering as some packed up their notebooks. He turned to ask Bucky what he wanted for dinner as teenagers filed out of the room when something caught his attention.

“We’re playing ultimate today. Six o’clock on the turf in the field house be there or be square.” Kate Bishop advertised to all the teenagers before they continued walking out of the room. Steve whipped his head around to see if Bucky had heard the same thing he had. Bucky looked at Steve with a smirk on his face that told Steve they definitely knew what they were doing tonight.

“What do you say we show some kids how it’s done Stevie.” Bucky smirked reaching out to grab Steve’s hand as they walked into the hallway.

“I’d say we better hurry if you want dinner. They start at six.” Steve smiled back at Bucky fumbling with Bucky’s hand as they walked towards their room.

***

“With all do respect Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barnes what are you guys doing here.” Billy said when he noticed the two of them walk toward the field.

“We’re here to play the game son.” Steve smiled innocently towards the group of children.

“Do you… do you know how to play? It kinda became a sport after the whole…” Billy mumbled mimicking a plane crashing with his hands while looking towards Steve and Bucky.

“Who do you think invented the game kid?” Bucky asked with the same cocky smirk he used growing up.

The group of kids looked up at them with varying states of shock. America looked bored as she continued to tie her shoes while Teddy looked like the secrets of the world had just been divulged to him. America pulled Kate from her feet to where she was sitting and proclaimed themselves captains and began the process of picking teams. Steve and Bucky ended up on opposite teams and we surprised at how little parts of the game had changed. The field was a lot bigger and now had seven people on each team rather than three. Bucky and Steve offered to sit out the first point to watch the kids play and hopefully pick up on the new rules that had been added.

Steve opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Bucky, “It almost feels like France again huh.” He said the nostalgia traceable in his voice. “Yeah.” Steve breathed out leaning into Bucky’s side. “Just wish they were here to see it.” Steve said somberly as they watched the kids throw the disc and play the game that taught Steve how to throw his shield, that brought the Commandos together, and made fighting in a World War bearable.

They watched in awe for a few minutes before the point ended and they replace two people on the other team. They parted ways as they walked towards opposite sides of the field. “Mr. Barnes did you guys really invent this game?” Teddy asked looking up at him.

“It's the only reason that he knows how to throw that damn shield as well as he can.” Bucky smiled at the kids while they waited for the other team to throw the disc down towards them to start the game. Bucky was not surprised to see Steve playing defense on him as he ran to try to catch the disc. The person who threw the disc led it perfectly out of Steve’s reach. Bucky couldn’t fight the smile that came to his face from playing this game for the first time in seventy years. He threw the disc to one of his teammates and looked towards Steve who had one of the biggest and most carefree smiles Bucky had seen on his face in a while.

Bucky took of downfield away from Steve in an effort to score in the end zone. Steve caught up to him after the disc was in the air and managed to get around Bucky and swat it out of his reach causing a turnover. “Fuck you Rogers.” Bucky yelled over his shoulder as Steve went to retrieve the disc.

“Later.” Steve said winking at Bucky. Behind him Bucky heard someone choke.

“Oh my god.” Billy said.

“I’ve learned a lot of things from them today, but that was not something I needed to hear.” Kate mumbled.


End file.
